was king xerxes a good king

With two pontoon bridges across the Hellespont (today known as Dardanelles). Many know Xerxes through the Book of Esther, and how she saved the Jewish people against the evil intention of Xerxes malign vizier, Haman.Xerxes is also portrayed as a megalomaniac king in the graphic novel 300 by Frank Miller. The Gate of All Nations (Old Persian : duvarthim visadahyum) also known as the Gate of Xerxes, located in the ruins of the ancient city of Persepolis, Iran. Xerxes hated Greeks. With Athens in his grasp, he ordered its destruction; in 480 BC the city was burnt. However, the story is fascinating and you might enjoy the insights from the articles in the links below. 8. David, Jacques-Louis: Leonidas at Thermopylae, 1814; in the Louvre Museum, Paris. Khshayarsha is very close to the Hebrew “Achashverosh.” In their consonantal structure, the two names are identical. Unfortunately, at the grand age of 64, his health was declining and so from his royal palace in Persepolis, King Darius named Xerxes his heir. Without him, we would not have the incredible story of the courage of the Spartans under Leonidas, nor the Perschutt of Athens. The political figure, Artabanus, was the protector of the king but had been scheming for some time to dethrone the Achaemenids. However, he seems all too willing to dismiss the classical sources as being completely biased and wrong. With his navy relegated to the bottom of the seafloor, Xerxes retreated to Asia with a large contingent of his army. To base whether Xerxes is worthy of the title ‘the Great’ solely because of a few lost battles on the fringes of his great empire might seem slightly foolish and ignorant as “these powerful Greek-generated images and stories have shaped perception of Xerxes’ reign even his personality, to the point where the surviving evidence on this period from elsewhere in the empire has been subordinated to it and twisted to fit our preconceptions.”1However, the problem does not necessarily come from an over reliance on the classical sources but rather from a serious lack of Persian sources. Both of these battles were disastrous, with the Greeks scoring decisive victories. He is traditionally considered to be the Persian King Ahasuerus referred to in the Biblical story of Esther. One of the most famous of these can be found in Aeschylus’ play, ‘ … This combined with his lack of tolerance, impiety and weakness within the court suggest that Xerxes was not deserving of the title ‘Great’. From here, in Sardis in 480 BC, that Xerxes would set out with the greatest the world had ever seen. Which is what he did by taking the secret pass through the mountains. Additionally, I like the way you bring in the current interest in Sparta, Leonidas and the tragic battle of the valiant 300. Chuckbl, What an entrancing, fascinating, riveting look into the ancient sources to find whether or not moderns need to add "the Great" after Xerxes' name! Esther chapter 1. Esther took her turn after 12 months of preparation, and she was chosen as queen: “She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. Born: 519 BC, Died: 465 BC. Such events determined poor outcomes which reflect badly on his kingship. We’ve got a lot of work to do on that front. From 483 BC, Xerxes prepared his expedition: The Xerxes Canal was dug through the isthmus of the peninsula of Mount Athos, provisions were stored in the stations on the road through Thrace, and two pontoon bridges later known as Xerxes' P… Culican provides a damning view of Xerxes both politically within the Empire and of the invasion of Greece as “Xerxes had neither the military ability nor the statecraft of his predecessors.”7 He criticises Xerxes for being ignorant of strategic warfare when it came to sea and land conditions in Greece, although arguably this is a slightly harsh assessment as the sheer military might which he commanded would make any leader confident in attack. There is no doubt that they were biased, but despite this, it is almost certain that they contained parts of the truth as well and as Briant admits that “Xerxes had decided to persecute Babylonian religion”4, there is no reason why we should discount the evidence that he destroyed the temples as well. He ultimately claims to have “(1) re-established order in a troubled country; (2) to have destroyed the sanctuaries of the daivā; (3) to have re-established the worship of Ahura-Mazda; and (4) to have re-established order in another ‘business.’”8 These are things which every king of Persia who was considered great endeavoured to do. His failed attack on the Greek armies is portrayed throughout literature, from being the basis of Herodotus’ books to the play ‘The Persians’ by Aeschylus. We have access to more than 20 Old Persian inscriptions written during his reign, … The city, having been abandoned by its inhabitants for the island of Salamis, gave little defence. His ultimate defeat spelled the beginning of the decline of the Achaemenian Empire. He was a great builder, constructing roads, temples, and Palaces. Esther is the last of the historical books of the Old Testament. All Rights Reserved. The historical Xerxes was very likely the bearded giant he is portrayed as on his ancient engravings. Whilst it is necessary to not overestimate the importance of the campaign into Greece in debating the greatness of Xerxes, it must be accepted that it was still a large and important factor in his reign and so should be analysed closely. Artaxerxes came after Artabanus and all of his sons. It was a resounding success. He was the son of the former Persian king Darius I.. King Xerxes of Persia was the world’s most powerful monarch who ruled the Persian Empire around 486 B.C., which is where he appears on the Biblical Timeline with World History. It is the year 486BC and King Darius I, the great Persian King of Kings, is preparing for another war with Greece. B&W. Xerxes, enraged, then ordered the Hellespont to be whipped 300 hundred times and commanded that fetters be thrown into the water. However, Briant’s statement that “we must renounce, once and for all, the Greek vision of Xerxes’ reign”13 arguably goes too far as although it is important to remember the Greek bias, ultimately Xerxes, through hubris and a lack of military leadership, fails to conquer Greece and sacrifices many of his people by doing so. However, Artobazan was born to Darius by a commoner. Briant’s argument on Egypt is more convincing. With Egypt and Babylon back under control, Xerxes then returned his attention to his father’s invasion and punishment of the Greek mainland. The summer of 465 BC saw the king cut down, assassinated by the royal bodyguard Artabanus and a eunuch Aspamitres. In the presence of the crowd, she was also liked by King Xerxes. Faced with this defeat, the Greek armies retreated. His rule came at the height of the Persian empire, and he is well-documented by the Greeks, who described him as a passionate, cruel, self-indulgent womanizer—but much of that may well have been slander. Xerxes murder was only part of the plan. The essay will attempt to reach a conclusion, taking in accounts both Greek and Persian, as to whether or not Xerxes is worthy of the title ‘the Great’. Both king and heir were dead. He was a good warrior. He left Mardonis, a leading commander in his army, to complete the assault. After the resounding defeat in Greece, Xerxes returned to Persia and focused instead upon completing the royal palaces at Susa and Persepolis, along with many smaller but highly detailed building projects within these complexes. Xerxes paints an intolerable picture of himself through his inscriptions upon the Persepolis where he describes how he destroys the temples of the ‘demons’, most likely referring to Babylonia. Tags: Darius 1, Greco-Persian war, Persia, Persian Empire, Persian invasion of Greece, Xerxes. As for ancient giants in Persia, there is a record which Herodotus notes in his "Histories" book 7:117: This seems to fit in extremely well with Herodotus’ account of Xerxes in general, and it therefore, must be seriously questioned whether such an event was likely to happen. Xerxes I, or Xerxes the Great was the son of and inherited the throne from his father,Darius I as King of Persia. However, the Persian invasion was not without success. Xerxes was chosen over his older brother, Artabazanes, as heir apparent, writes Persia scholar Jean-Louis Huot.In 486, when Darius died, Xerxes was about 35 years old. Xerxes was king of Persia in 485-465 B.C. There is no doubt that this was a hammering defeat for Xerxes, however, it seems as if the modern day view of his reign might have been overly influenced by these events. Xerxes I, Persian king (486–465 BCE), the son and successor of Darius I. At the end, God's glory was manifested. Xerxes’ life and reign was short by today’s standards, but his legacy has lasted, and will last, for millennia. Briant, in his defence of Xerxes argues that there is no direct evidence to suggest that it was Xerxes who destroyed the Babylonian temples. (3) The king must be a Persian; for the whole atmosphere is Persian. Xerxes was the oldest son of Darius I, and the offspring of the king’s first wife, Atossa, daughter of Cyrus II. Therefore, arguably, by alienating himself from the traditional customs of his predecessors, he showed weakness through impiety and cruelty with a lack of respect for the people he wished to govern and thus, seriously questioning his warranting of the title ‘Great’. The Xerxes Canal was constructed, allowing them to store provisions through Thrace as it cut through the isthmus of Mount Athos. Xerxes fought Greeks. The grandson of Cyrus the Great, Xerxes became King, son of Queen Atossa and King Darius I, but his rule was not always so noble or successful. Xerxes refused to slow his progress. Xerxes, however, had violently confiscated and melted this idol, which incited the Babylonians to revolt not once, but twice, in 484 BC and again in 482 BC. Another area where Xerxes certainly lived up to his title was in his construction of Persepolis where he “followed in his father’s footsteps when he continued construction projects at Persepolis and carried on his administration of the empire.”9 Although Darius had started the project, Xerxes increased and added to it extensively for the full duration of his reign. When Xerxes came to power, according to Ctesias and Herodotus, he successfully managed to suppress revolts in Egypt and Babylonia which had initiated in the reign of Darius showing that he was capable of keeping control in his own Empire and effective in putting down rebellions quickly. Xerxes (Khashayar) was born around 520 BCE in the southern province of Persis (Fars).He was a powerful king who ruled Achaemenid (Persian) Empire from 486-465 BCE. Artabanus’ plot also involved murdering the heir, Crown Prince Darius. Similarly, the punishment of Pythius’ son and also the famous display of hubris when the Hellespont dared to obstruct the path of Xerxes, shows how irrational and unlike Cyrus Xerxes could be. He has also been portrayed in films (perhaps unflatteringly) such as The 300 Spartans (1962) and 300 (2006). You should be kind and add one! Finally, Ctesias’ account of Xerxes includes many stories about the woman of his court. …favourite of King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I; reigned 486–465 bce), determined by lot that the 13th of Adar was the day on which the Jews living in the Persian Empire were to be slain.Esther, a beautiful Jewish woman whom the King had chosen as queen after repudiating Queen Vashti,… Xerxes and his achievements have been depicted for thousands of years. © 2021 Classical Wisdom Limited. Xerxes was a king. His weakness for woman, firstly Masistes’ wife, and then his daughter ended with Amestris mutilating Masistes’ wife and pretty much having to kill the entire family of his own brother. (2) The description that Herodotus gives of the character of Xerxes corresponds to the Biblical and, later, the midrashic picture—vain, foolish, fickle, and hot-tempered. A terrible storm swept through the isthmus and tore apart the pontoon bridges, demolishing the papyrus and flax cables that held the bridges together. As King, he was required to grasp the outstretched hands of the golden statue of Marduk on New Year’s Day. The exiled Spartan king Demaratus advised Xerxes that Artobazan’s claim had no foundation; as it was Xerxes who was born to the King and Atossa, the Queen and the daughter of King Cyrus the Great. Firstly, after finally beating the Spartans, Xerxes had the body of Leonidas brutalised mercilessly. For whatever reason, he killed Xerxes and accused Darius, Xerxes’ first born, of committing the deed. The Persian King, Xerxes (a.k.a. After it was defeated, Xerxes appointed his brother, Achaemenes, to the position of satrap (governor) of Egypt. Xerxes is familiar to students of the Bible since he appears in two books: in the book of Esther he is called by his Hebrew name Ahasuerus; and in the book of Ezra (4:6) he is mentioned in relation to an accusation lodged against the Jews in his reign. While his military achievements were a mixed bag, his architectural endeavours were all successes, with some still in existence to this day. George Frideric Handel’s protagonist Serse is based on the Persian king, and the Italian Poet Metastasio romanticised the story of the murder of Xerxes, Crown Prince Darius, and the ascension of Artaxerxes in the libretto of his Artaserse. Xerxes ruled the Achaemenid empire from 486-465 BC. Despite this conclusion, it must be remembered that although he did not achieve greatness politically, socially or militarily for his empire; he also did not, as so many historians (ancient and modern) have stated, start the demise of the Persian Empire. Xerxes was murdered by his counselor, Artabanus, in 465. Xerxes’ ‘daivā Inscription’ shows, at the very least, that his intentions were ‘Great’. How this was going to punish the unruly weather is anyone’s guess, but it apparently worked, as his second attempt to cross was successful. We’re working on their paragraphs making more sense, because by the end of the upcoming school year I want them writing 5 paragraph essays. He states various artefacts that show Xerxes still being referred to as the Pharaoh of Egypt contrary to statements made by Herodotus and other classical authors. ), a king of Persia, made an unsuccessful effort to conquer Greece in 480-479, suffering a major naval defeat at the Battle of Salamis. Xerxes even appears in the Bible, where he was identified as King Ahasuerus in the Book of Esther, inspiring the painting Esther Denouncing Haman to King Ahaseurus by Ernest Normand. His reign is most marked by the Persian campaigns against Greece and the battles of Thermopylae, Salamis, and Plataea, which may explain part of the reason why the Persian king has been heavily criticized by writers (especially the ancient Greek ones) over the years. Disclaimer Terms of Publication Privacy Policy and Cookies Sitemap RSS Contact Us. It's interesting how some ancients withstand the test of time and others aren't doing so under the increasing scrutiny possible through subsequent advances in research, science and technology. Yet, Xerxes’ mighty victory never came. There in stony crags, they held back the onslaught of the Persian army but were ultimately defeated due to betrayal by a fellow Greek by the name of Ephialtes. He had placed his sons in positions of power and waited for the time to strike. Photo is of a mature cotton flower before turns in boll. Xerxes assault on Thermopylae is the stuff of legends, so too was its lesson: when you hit a wall, if you can’t go through it look for a way around, under, or over it. On the surface it seems as though Xerxes failed as a military leader, especially within Greece but within the context of Persian society, it could be argued that warfare was the job of his generals and strategy was not his to deal with. Esther has to go through a lot of unpleasant situations. Our apologies, you must be logged in to post a comment. Although Xerxes is the king, he is not ultimately in charge. Instead, according to Herodotus, his initial attempt was thwarted, not by an army, but by nature. ‘Great’ shall be interpreted as furthering the progress of his Empire, upholding the Persian values already set out by men such as Cyrus and Darius and by the good qualities recognisable in any good leader: militarily, politically and socially. X was once a great king Xerxes, Xerxy, Perxy, Turxy, Xerxy, Linxy, lurxy, Great King Xerxes! There is much debate on whether the rule of Xerxes can be considered ‘Great’ or whether he was, as so many classical authors, most especially Herodotus, have said; the spark for the beginning of the decline of the Persian empire. Here, Xerxes’s navy was unprepared for the unfavourable weather conditions, and within hours the alliance of Greek city-states was able to outmaneuver and defeat the invading army. There are some contradicting accounts of exactly who was killed first, but the plot was successful. However, according to Dio Chrysostom, it was declared in Persia that Xerxes defeated the Greeks, took Athens and “sold into slavery all those people who had not fled and, after this success, imposed tribute on the Greeks and returned to Asia.”2 It is more than likely that this was the propaganda that Xerxes used to mask the reasons for his withdrawal in Greece but even so, this shows good political leadership and an ability to maintain his necessary image of near invincibility to his Empire. Rather he suggests that it was due to the classical authors who were trying to show the piety of Alexander in comparison to Xerxes. There are several examples given, although it must be noted that they are given by Greek authors, of the brutality of Xerxes. Xerxes and his achievements have been depicted for thousands of years. Once through the mountains, the Persian army continued their attack and were aided by a storm that wrecked the Greek ships at Artemisium. As early as Aeschylus and his play ‘The Persians’, Xerxes was being immortalised. Culican does provide an important point in illustrating that by executing the Phoenician general after Salamis, he alienated a potentially crucial ally. 6. In 483 BC Xerxes began preparing for his campaign. There is nothing to indicate that King Xerxes became a convert to Judaism and began to worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He continued Darius’ theme of inscribing their dynasty upon the walls and echoed much of what Darius had written. Wiesehöfer contradicts Allen and Briant’s view that Xerxes was not the bad king that the ancient Greeks depicted him as. He was an able war leader, but ruthless in punishing rebels. He was brave and successfully invaded Greece, but stupid enough to fall for a Greek trick. He is best known for his massive invasion of Greece from across the Hellespont (480 BCE), a campaign marked by the battles of Thermopylae, Salamis, and Plataea. Xerxes, son of Darius, claimed to be the overlord of all civilized peoples that were known by him. This essay shall consider the various events of Xerxes’ reign and most crucially it will judge his worthiness not solely on his Greek campaign but also on the evidence of his other achievements or failures. This argument proved solid, Xerxes was hence recognised as the only legal heir to the throne of Persia, succeeding his father and being crowned sometime between October and December of 486 BC. Whether his pride took over, or he became so arrogant he would not listen to his advisors, Xerxes fell for a trap. Xerxes was born in the royal Persian family around 518 BC to the king of Persia, Darius I and Atossa. ς ksérksɛːs; 518–465 BC), called Xerxes the Great, was the fourth king of kings of the Achaemenid dynasty of Persia. The plan was to block the narrow Straits of Salamis and cut off the Greek navy. The story of Xerxes is an excellent example of Proverbs 21:1: “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.” Xerxes even appears in the Bible, where he was identified as King Ahasuerus in the Book of Esther, inspiring the painting Esther Denouncing Haman to King Ahaseurus by Ernest Normand. We would be without the Gate of All Nations, or the Royal Road that would prove its value for generations to come. Alphabets. These achievements include the Gate of All Nations, the Hall of a Hundred Columns at Persepolis, the Apadana, the Tachara, the Treasury, along with maintaining the Royal Road and completing the Susa Gate. Persian Empire in the Achaemenid era, 6th century BC. His maternal grandfather, Cyrus … Xerxes (518 BCE–August 465 BCE) was a king of the Achaemenid dynasty during the Mediterranean late Bronze Age. But no sooner had the dust settled than Xerxes was thrust back into turmoil when he outraged his Babylonian subjects. However, this would not be so. Sounds like you're right on the money. The Greek represents it by Xerxes. Legend has it that Xerxes I was killed by Artabanus, who was a political figure of some stature. This decisive action, along with the defection of Megabyzus, is attributed with having saved the line of the Achaemenids. Book of Esther. Nonetheless, in comparison to rulers such as Cyrus, a man considered truly ‘Great’, and Darius, Xerxes’ methods seem not to have met with the same success and ultimately served to endanger the stability of his Empire when concerning future rebellions. Persian soldier (left) and Greek hoplite (right) depicted fighting, on an ancient kylix, 5th century BC. Xerxes (reigned 486-465 B.C. Esther Denouncing Haman to King Ahaseurus (1888), Ernest Normand (1857-1923). Xerxes now controlled all of mainland Greece north of the Isthmus of Corinth. The battle at Thermopylae is well known by all historians and movie fans alike; the heroic tale of King Leonidas leading his 300 Spartan warriors. When Xerxes became king, he immediately had to deal with the revolt in Egypt. Xerxes’ kingship after Darius was from 426BC to 465BC, his accession being a decision finalised by the previous king from a number of factors as evident in inscriptions, reliefs as well as accounts by the Greek historian, Herodotus. Charlie (author) from Scotland on November 27, 2011: Kitty Fields from Summerland on November 26, 2011: Voted up and interesting. There can be no doubt that the classical authors were quick to denounce Xerxes as a bad king, not only because of his ultimate failure in getting all the Greek states under his dominion, but also because by creating this image, it made the Greek victories look even more impressive. In order to find out the details of Xerxes’ life in depth, where literature is concerned, historians are forced to rely on the works provided by the ancient Greek authors because that is almost all that exists. It has been portrayed in history that the Persians suffered a terrible defeat at the hands of the Greeks and it is certainly true that ultimately their invasion was resisted. Whether this ‘novella’ is based entirely on truth is unknown, but as an oral tradition it does show the weakness of Xerxes within his own court and it could be argued that to be a ‘Great’ king, he must first control his court before he could control an empire. The fires raged to such a degree that it left an indelible mark; a mark know by us today through an archaeological attested destruction layer, known as Perserschutt. With the crown placed on his head, Xerxes was immediately besieged with thoughts of war; of his father’s war with Greece, and with an uprising and revolts in Egypt and Babylon as a result of his father’s building efforts of the royal palaces in Susa and Persepolis. However, classical texts, Babylonian tablets and Egyptian hieroglyphic inscriptions all suggest that Xerxes abandoned the ways of Darius and Cyrus when dealing with conquered states. Furthermore, he quickly crushed the rebellions within his own Empire and did gain victories in Greece, including the destruction of Athens. A map of the ancient Hellespont, including ancient Troy (Ilium on the map) of Homer and Virgil. It is the story of a beautiful Jewish girl who became wife to Ahasuerus (Xerxes), king of Persia (486-465 B.C. Wiesehöfer contradicts Allen and Briant’s view that Xerxes was not the bad king that the ancient Greeks depicted him as. Xerxes, of course, was determined to punish them. ). The first part of his reign was marked by the famous campaign into Greece, beginning in 483. The Greeks, under the Athenian general Themistocles, tempted the invaders into a naval skirmish in the Saronic Gulf by subterfuge. His whipping of the Hellespont and his apparent destruction of the religious places in Egypt and Babylon combined with various other rash deeds such as the mutilation of Leonidas show how his bad temper painted him in a light that was both disgusting from a Greek point of view (although this is perhaps the reason why the Greeks wrote so extensively about these events) and from the point of view of being a successful political and social leader. He suffers from bad luck because his decisions always seem to be the wrong ones. He even removes his various titles as rulers of these places showing his contempt and refusal to revere them more than he would any common satrapy. Darius died while in the process of preparing a second army to invade the Greek mainland, leaving to his son the task of punishing the Athenians, Naxians, and Eretrians for their interference in the Ionian Revolt, the burning of Sardis, and their victory over the Persians at Marathon. Die Seeschlacht bei Salamis [English: Battle of Salamis], Wilhelm von Kaulbach, 1868. Who can forget Rodrigo Santoro, the Brazilian actor as Xerxes in the movie version!He looked like a parade leader in the Brazilian Carnival. This punishment was the result of interference during the Ionian Revolt of 499 BC to 493 BC. Both center on the consonantal sounds “ch,” “sh,” “r,” and “sh.” The Hebrew added an initial aleph, referred to by linguists as a “prosthetic aleph,” a frequent occurrence when foreign words with tw… The revolts were quashed swiftly by the might of the Persian forces, and this led Xerxes to appoint his brother, Achaemenes, as satrap over Egypt.

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